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A TV show about the Vikings is in development, as well as three shows about pirates.

Report about Vikings from Deadline Hollywood:

In one of the highest-profile TV projects to come out of post-bankruptcy MGM, the studio has teamed with The Tudors and Camelot masterminds Michael Hirst and Morgan O'Sullivan for Vikings (working title), a drama series about the famous Scandinavian warriors. Hirst, creator of Showtime's The Tudors and co-creator of Starz's Camelot, created Vikings and will executive produce with Irish-based producer O'Sullivan and producers/managers Sherry Marsh and Alan Gasmer. The series is eyed to begin production on a 10-episode first season next year at O'Sullivan's soon-to-open studio facility in Ireland. It will be an Ireland-Canada co-production in the mold of O'Sullivan's production model for The Tudors and Camelot. MGM, which has been involved in the development of the project, will finance 100% of the cost outside of Canada and Ireland and will distribute the series in the U.S. and internationally. Vikings is considered better suited for cable, and, because of the appetite for big, historic epics on pay TV, a pay cable play appears likely.

The idea for a Viking series started with Marsh, who took it to fellow producer/manager Gasmer. The two pitched it to MGM EVP International TV Distribution Chris Ottinger, who suggested taking the international co-production route and brought in O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan called up frequent collaborator and avid historian Hirst, who turned out to be a Viking buff and had written an unproduced feature script about the famous barbarians years ago. Hirst is working on a bible for the series and is expected to write most or all episodes. (He famously wrote every single episode of The Tudors.) The series will chronicle the Vikings' exploits as warriors, explorers, builders, merchants, pirates and mercenaries through what is known as the Viking Age of Scandinavian, British and Irish history from the late-8th to the mid-11th century. It will center on Ragnar Lodbrok, one of the most popular Viking heroes, a great commander who briefly ruled Denmark and Sweden and was linked to two shieldmaidens and a queen.

Report about Pyrates from Deadline Hollywood:

[Fox] is in negotiations for the project, Pyrates, which is envisioned as a 10-13-episode event-type limited series for summer 2012. The series was created by Law & Order/Numbers veteran Barry Schindel, with Stephen Hopkins (24) on board to direct the first episode. Indie producer Ensemble Entertainment is producing in association with Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott Free Prods. Based on historical events, Pyrates is described as a gritty portrayal of the men and women who pulled off the largest heist on pirate history -- the capture of the Spanish silver fleet in 1628 -- sparking the golden age of piracy, a time when there was greater honor amongst thieves than those who hunted them. Ensemble is exploring an international co-production model for the project and is scouting potential locations for the production, including the Caribbean and Australia. Endemol will handle international distribution for Pyrates through the first-look deal with Ensemble the company signed last fall.

Report about Port Royal from Deadline Hollywood:

Graham King’s GK-tv and Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment have partnered with FX Prods and Fox International Channels to co-produce hourlong period drama series Port Royal. The project, based on the original idea by Hurd, will be developed for FX in the U.S. and Fox's international channels abroad. GK-tv and Valhalla first unveiled Port Royal at last month's MIPTV, drawing interest from multiple suitors before teaming with FIC and FX, "a network that never shies away from provocative storytelling, which is ideally suited to the decadent and dangerous world of Port Royal," GK-tv president Craig Cegielski said. Port Royal reunites The Walking Dead executive producer Hurd with FIC, which distributes internationally the hit AMC series. Set in the late 17th century on the island of Jamaica, Port Royal chronicles the namesake port’s notorious rise as the “richest and wickedest city” in the new world, and as a self-governing safe haven for cutthroat pirates, corrupt politicians and ruthless merchants. Executive produing the project are Hurd and GK-tv’s Graham King, Tim Headington and Cegielski.

Report about Villains of All Nations from The Hollywood Reporter:

British writer-producer Lynda La Plante, best known for the Prime Suspect series with Helen Mirren, has inked a deal with Lionsgate TV to develop Villains of All Nations, Marcus Rediker’s book about pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. Villains will be developed into a one-hour drama series, with La Plante joining executive producers Alexandra Milchan (Street Kings) and Alessandro Camon (Thank You for Smoking).

“We’ve been hoping to work with Lynda for some time and the stars have finally aligned on this project,” said president of Lionsgate TV Kevin Beggs. “Not only is she a brilliant writer, she happens to have a longtime love and knowledge of the subject matter and we believe she can achieve exactly the kind of ‘Deadwood on the seas’ sensibility we’re looking for.”

Set in the late 17th century on the island of Jamaica, Port Royal chronicles the namesake port’s notorious rise

Hmm period piece set in Jamaica.
I wonder if they will shoot in the Caribbean or in Hawaii or what?

Sounds very expensive.

This sounds like Starz or Showtime or TNT not FX due to budget.
I am interested in period piece episodics like this. with the violence and most likely raping of women I would expect premium subscription cable channel not regular cable tier.

History is revising America's most infamous family feud with The Hatfields and McCoys, a miniseries starring Oscar winner Kevin Costner. Costner will play "Devil" Anse Hatfield and will produce the mini, which has been given a green light and will premiere next year, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the bloody war between the two clans that has become a popular metaphor for bitterly feuding rivals.

I never knew that feud actually overlapped with the Civil War. How ironic.

I had always thought we would be getting a bunch of Pirates movies after the sucess of POTC films. I was surprised that it never ended up happening. It looks like Hollywood is just going to try with tv shows instead. Hopefully they can survive.

Well in 2013 there is another Blackbeard pirate movie:Blackbeard (2013)
in development no info yet at the link.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (2012) [it will be known as The Pirates! Band of Misfits! in the U.S.A.]
a stop-motion 3D animated film produced by Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation. for September 2012 release
Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek and David Tennant voices

I think the 13 episode TV series really allows characters to develop and not just an action adventure genre feature film like POTC movies.
A miniseries of 4 or 6 episodes would seem to work but extending it to 12 or 13 episodes spread over a season I think is a great format for complex characters and season-long story and character arcs that are heavily serialized.

There were rumours of BBC doing a series called The Scrimshaw Pirates a year or two ago. a 13episode series, but I've not heard anything. Though given how long it took for Outcasts to go in to production I guess that means nothing.

__________________
“Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.”
― Terry Pratchett

I think the 13 episode TV series really allows characters to develop and not just an action adventure genre feature film like POTC movies.
A miniseries of 4 or 6 episodes would seem to work but extending it to 12 or 13 episodes spread over a season I think is a great format for complex characters and season-long story and character arcs that are heavily serialized.

I agree. I think a TV series is really suited to this. Movies only allow to skim the surface. They really have a good chance of building up their own mythology here.

I had always thought we would be getting a bunch of Pirates movies after the sucess of POTC films. I was surprised that it never ended up happening. It looks like Hollywood is just going to try with tv shows instead. Hopefully they can survive.

I'd prefer a pirates series without sf/f elements, but I do like the idea of other historical series that have an sf/f twist. A Western, or a series about a mentalist in the 20s would both be good candidates.

Well, I'm sending a pirate movie script out into the wild soon. If that counts.

A guy wanted me to write a Viking film script based on his outline, but it was seriously awful, and he wouldn't let me change it into something, well, better. Cntered on a wimpy, artistic kid forced to become a Viking like his father. And that makes it sound a lot more interesting than it was. The character as written had no internal life, and he wouldn't let me give him one. He's now going to write it as a novel.